


A Whirlwind of Shadows

by Kravitz_ACW



Category: AFK Arena (Video Game)
Genre: I aint a fan tbh, M/M, also I'm ignoring the graveborn lore cause, but i wrote too much so multichapter fic, ferael and eironn being oblivious about their emotions, this was supposed to be a oneshot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21729400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kravitz_ACW/pseuds/Kravitz_ACW
Summary: A short encounter turns into something more. Two people who are both emotionally distant don't understand what they're feeling or why they're so drawn to one another.
Relationships: Eironn/Ferael (AFK Arena)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	A Whirlwind of Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Hey. This was originally going to be one long one-shot but I haven't even gotten half way finished, so I'm just editing what I have right now and posting. Not sure how many chapters it'll be, but I'm hoping it shouldn't be too long. The rest of it should be up by the end of January. Hope you enjoy!

The shining light from the moon lit up the sky and peeked through the openings from the ceiling of the forest that was made of trees. A quiet breeze ruffled the leaves and carried the sounds of the many different animals roaming the forest with it as it passed, causing Ferael to pause from his walking and look up at the sky. A blanket of stars shone brilliantly, illuminated further with the brightness provided from the full moon. Deciding the area was safe enough to take a break, Ferael found himself a large tree that provided a strong trunk to lean against.

Ferael had been travelling along the forest aimlessly for a while, having finally left Thoran’s castle after growing bored of the constant overcast sky. It wasn’t like he could see the day sky anyways, but being around in one place was making him stir crazy and he had already learnt how to properly take care of his body’s new undead status. He hadn’t really known how much time had passed nor where he was going before he found himself in the thick of the forest. Not really knowing which forest he was currently in, he had kept his guard up while deciding to find some sort of landmark or a tall enough vantage point that would give him a better idea of where he was.

But right now, he wanted to enjoy a moment of silence as the wind blew against his face. When he was alive, he had been so driven by perfection with his archery that he had been devoid of almost everything else. After dying and being frozen in time, he had a bit of self discovery upon realizing that he in fact, felt quite a bit. He didn’t need to worry himself over frivolous things such as growing tired or aging. He’d be forever frozen in time, never aging another day or muscles aching and sore or fingers becoming tender from overuse.

No, being dead had given him time to himself to think about many things. He had realized shortly after coming to the forest that he had never truly appreciated the simplistic beauty of a waterfall while alive, or the peaceful calls of animals conversing with one another. There was also the odd empty feeling he had upon remembering his time alive, of how much time he wasted on not taking the time to truly look around and take in the scenery of everything. Now that he had the time to take things in, he was able to appreciate the beauty of the things he saw.

Ferael glanced around from where he was to see if he could spot anything out of the ordinary and when he confirmed that it was safe, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the night. He had already ran into some deformed and grotesque creatures he could only assume were animals at one point but twisted into something more unnatural than himself. He had been able to kill them easily and watched in a mixture of disgust and morbid curiosity as the creatures seemed to bubble into thick black ooze and evaporating into purple smoke as they died. Feral honestly had no idea what they were or where they had come from but he had run into quite a few already and with little else to do while he travelled, he decided to follow the general direction he had found them coming from. He had nowhere else to go and something about knowing that there were creature far more unnatural than him had piqued his interest.

Dura, he was starting to sound like Niru.

The sound of a twig snapping in the distance caused Ferael to snap open his eyes immediately with his bow already fully formed in his hand as he crept closer to the tree trunk for cover. The sound had come from the direction he had been earlier and he hadn’t run into a living soul since entering the forest. Animals and the creatures had been the only companions he had seen, so the thought of it being either was very likely but it didn’t hurt to be on guard. If it was an animal, then Ferael had just found himself a meal but if it was another grotesque creature, then he must have took a wrong turn or the creatures were now aware of him. The noise had sounded far though, so he doubted it was close enough for him to be too on edge for now.

Either option seemed alright with the archer as he strained his eyes to see anything unusual in the area of the noise but there wasn’t anything. Still, Ferael kept his body ready to draw and fire at a moments notice just in case he’d need too. The wind blew again but this time, instead of just the noise of the rustling of leaves and wildlife, there was also the noise of shuffling in the distance. Ferael felt oddly relaxed as he quietly climbed the large tree he was only just leaning against, quickly finding a nice spot with a wide view of his surroundings and watching in case something had tried sneaking up on him.

He could almost see the entire area from the position he was in, the sounds of the forest somehow slightly quieter from where he was. Ferael listened as the sound of quiet steps on the ground reached his ears, quickly recognizing that it wasn’t the sound of one of the creatures or an animal caused him to tense slightly as he gripped his bow tighter.

There weren’t many people who would brave a forest in the dead of night, no matter how brightly the moon lit up the sky. The only night travelers Ferael could think of would be either undead like him, some foolish mortal thinking they can brave a forest by themselves or a Wilder, who might see him as a threat. He had been told by Shemira that Wilders weren’t exactly fond of their kind and the possibility of running into one could turn into a fight and readied himself if it came to that. Ferael let out a silent breath he had been holding and focused his sight on where the noise had come from.

The silhouette of a figure walking came into view, shadowed by the forest’s ceiling of lush leaves. Ferael zeroes in on the antlers sprouting from the figure, which means they’re most likely a Wilder or have a very unique taste in fashion. Before he can focus on any other details, the sound of a low growl and stomping from the distance behind him has him turning around and taking in the sight of three of the large creatures charging towards him from a distance away.

Without thinking, Ferael forms three arrows and shoots one at the creature in front before shooting the other two. Despite their size, two of the creatures are smaller than the first one. Ferael hadn’t seen them this large and he vaguely wonders if it means he’s getting closer to where they’re coming from before noticing that they haven’t bubbled like they usually do when getting shot.

Purple liquid that almost seems to glow pours out of the two smaller creatures before they let out a terrible sound torn between a howl and a scream that sounds much like the screams the damned souls who aren’t fully dead or alive let out. The two smaller ones stumble but Ferael pays them no mind at the largest creature growls as it seems to have somehow located Ferael’s hiding spot.

Condensing the shadows more so that the arrow is stronger, Ferael shoots the largest creature down. It falls instantly and makes the same sound as the smaller two. Quickly shooting the other two with stronger arrows, they’re quick to die as Ferael forms another arrow in his hand before jumping down to inspect the creature that’s still alive further.

Walking up to the largest one and crouching down, Ferael notices that the purple liquid is in fact, glowing ever so slightly. The eyes seem to also glow, a plea for help in them as they stare at the archer, unable to move from the kill shots that hit. As he scans over the body, Ferael notices that the animal must have been some kind of wolf or coyote but had become so twisted, it was only a demented mockery of the animal. Ferael stands back up and decides to kill the dying creature when he notices something that makes bile rise in the back of his throat.

Souls of the people who are in between life and death, who are lost wandering around the land in search of rest of any kind hold a certain air to them. They were all often young souls, of those that weren’t expecting to die so soon. They were kids, young soldiers sent to frontlines without wanting too in the first place, unsuspecting villagers caught in between crossfire and they were all innocent. And a group of those souls were mixed up and forced into the creature that Ferael had just shot down, screaming out for help.

Ferael didn’t think twice before bashing the head of the creatures in with the head of his arrow, not pausing to watch them bubble and dissolve into mist. The souls tied to them seemed to disappear with them and Ferael prayed to Dura, that they were able to pass on and weren’t corrupted because of being forced to fuse with such a vile creature. He let his shadowed bow disperse while he lifted his mask to stare at the ground where the creature died when he heard the footsteps heading towards him before stopping a short distance from him. Ferael silently curses himself for forgetting about the other person and pulled down his mask, turning around and facing the wilder staring at him with piercing green eyes and a quizzical look.

“… You must be who Lorsan had been talking about.”

Ferael doesn’t reply, instead studying the wilder in front of him. An impressive and elegant set of antlers sat on top of long blonde hair, some of it tucked behind pointed ears and a handsome face and a passing thought of wondering if this was attraction or just an acknowledgement on the warriors beauty wandered through his head as he took in the rest. Two large swords were held in the wilder’s waist, elegant armor in shades of greens with gold embroidery covered his body and a pale belt held the swords in place. The wilder had a unique air to him as he stared back at Ferael, taking him in all the same.

Ferael had heard of an impressive wilder swordsman, one who trained under one of the top chieftains of the Maulers. By the looks of the one in front of him and the assured way he held himself, Ferael was easily able to make the connection, though he was unsure of their name. He had recognized the other name though, Lorsan. Which meant that Ferael was probably the wilders forest, though it didn’t explain how he hadn’t passed by a single one of them before now.

The sudden movement from the wilder shook Ferael out of his thoughts as he watched the other man walk over to where the creature had dissolved. Noticing that the blonde was focusing on the area where the beast had died, Ferael felt a bit awkward just standing there. He didn’t really know why he hadn’t taken the chance to flee, instead finding himself studying the antlers on the other’s head while taking a step back to let him fully inspect the area.

The blonde clicked his tongue, standing up and placing a hand on his chin. “They’re evolving bit by bit, huh?”

Ferael made a face of disgust, staring at the spot where he had killed the creature. “They’re shoving innocent souls in them to make them stronger. It’s disgusting.” A pale eyebrow shot up as the wilder stared at him, almost as if he had forgotten that Ferael was standing there.

“I had heard that there was a rogue graveborn roaming the forest and killing the Hypogeans so I decided to check it out, seeing as I was growing bored.” The wilder shrugged and glanced down to where Ferael’s hand was, where he had held his bow earlier. “I’m Eironn.”

Ah, that was his name. Ferael was glad he didn’t say anything earlier because the name he was thinking of was completely off. He wondered why he didn’t feel threatened by Eironn, instead had seemed weirdly entranced by the blonde as he gave his name without a second thought. “Ferael.”

Eironn nodded before looking at the direction the Hypogeans, he had called them, had come from. “What are you doing in the forest?” The moonlight that managed to shine through the leaves illuminated his face quite nicely and despite the darkness, he stared into in the distance as if he could see in the dark as well as he did in the daylight.

Ferael shrugged, finding it hard to peel his eyes off of Eironn. There was something about the swordsman that pulled at Ferael’s attention and it was unfamiliar, something he hadn’t felt before. He didn’t want to get on his bad side, though Ferael wasn’t exactly sure why. So he gave a half truth instead, no need to unload his new found self discovery onto the other. “I got lost and was attacked by one of the Hypogeans, so I started following their trail and killing them. Is it a problem that I’m here?”

A strong gust of wind blew through, strong enough the make Ferael’s hood fly off and eyes water squint as to not get dirt in them. Blinking away the tears that started to form from the bit of dirt that did get in, Ferael caught the sight of Eironn turning back to him, blonde hair flying gracefully with the wind and not seeming bothered in the slightest. Once again, Ferael thought that Eironn was beautiful, his green eyes illuminated by moonlight and hair blowing in the wind.

“No. You’re actually a help in keeping the Hypogeans out. I was curious about you though.” Eironn’s words were blunt and straight to the point. He didn’t know why it made him nervous, he had been called beautiful and handsome by many before and not once had he cared. For some reason, Ferael suddenly felt self conscious under the swordsman’s gaze and was thankful for the fact that he couldn’t blush as quickly since his heart didn’t pump fast enough for that to happen.

However, he did feel his face warm as he pulled his hood back on. “I can answer whatever questions I can.”

Dura, why did his voice have to crack?

Eironn’s mouth quirked up, a hint of a smile and eyes amused. It only lasted for a second before he waved his hand to the direction he had come from. “I’d love to take you up on the offer, but I do have other business elsewhere.”

Frowning in disappointment, Ferael nodded. He wondered if he’d ever see Eironn again, though he had highly doubted it.

“However, if we do ever meet again.” Eironn continued and brilliant green eyes stared into Ferael’s own. “I’ll take you up on that offer. Farewell.”

Too stunned to reply, Ferael nodded mutely while watching Eironn turn the direction he had motioned to before. He paused, glancing behind him to look over his shoulder before leaving and becoming a silhouette in the shadows of the forest once again and finally gone completely.

Shaking his head, Ferael glanced up at the sky and noticed the lighter shades of blue start to creep into the black of the night. Sunrise would be soon and Ferael would need to find a large and shaded enough tree to stay hidden in for the day before heading out on the forest floors again.

oOo

Eironn sighed before collapsing into the lush grass, ignoring the weird look Kaz gave him. It had been a few months since the official peace treaties of all factions were in place due to the war and they had finally made some significant damage that they didn’t need as much help on the frontlines. He should have been happy, knowing that the forest would be alright on her own again.

It had been months, almost a year, since he had run into Ferael in the dead of night. He hadn’t seen him once, yet the archer hadn’t left his mind. It was maddening, Eironn was used to having fleeting interests in others because of their strengths but that would leave as fast as they’d come. But this had somehow been different. Ferael had an air to himself that piqued his curiosity and he was slightly disappointed that he wasn’t part of the group of mixed factions that had come to help after the treaties were sent.

He did get to have the unfortunate meeting with Kelthur who seemed to have made it his own personal mission to make his life hell. Eironn had no idea what he had done or said to make the Graveborn want to mess with him, but Kelthur seemed to take great joy in seeing him grow frustrated. It didn’t help that Kaz sometimes helped him out on finding him.

Thankfully, he had been asked by his old acquaintance, Thane, to go to Ranhorn. It would be a nice distraction from the personal dilemma of whether he was thinking too much of his interest in Ferael. He would be nice to catch up with Thane and possibly spar, seeing how much the both of them have grown. It had been years since they had last seen each other and it made Eironn beyond curious on why he would reach out to him now.

“You do know that we’re almost there, right? Like, we can see the walls to the kingdom from here?” Kaz asked, sitting down next Eironn and slouching over while resting her chin in her paw.

Eironn rolled his eyes and stared at the sky above him. “Why did you even come along?”

“’Cause why not?”

Eironn hummed and sat up, staring at the kingdom’s tall walls. He never understood the reasoning behind keeping such a large city in such a small and confined area. It only made the streets busier and more crowded. “Sure it’s not just because you and Ira are fighting again?”

Kaz pushed his shoulder roughly and stood up, grabbing her bag with her. “This is why no one likes you.”

Eironn shrugged as he stood up and took his bag, following behind Kaz. He didn’t care if people liked him or not, as long as he could protect what his people with his own strength he worked hard for. He didn’t expect Kaz to understand since most others didn’t.

Though now, he had to wonder if maybe he had been slowly changing. His strive for perfection hadn’t changed, but now he had the weird feeling of longing that he hadn’t known before. Was it for a challenge to push his skills further? For the end of the Hypogeans invasion? For even further knowledge than that he possessed?

Whatever it was, it had only made him more curious as to what caused this change inside of him. He hadn’t noticed it was even there until it hit him one day in the middle of training. He had been able to push it to the back of his mind from then on but it never fully disappeared. Eironn even went as far as to consult both Ulmus and Arden about it, though Ulmus hadn’t been much help at all. Arden had only told him he’d figure it out with a knowing smile and it had only left Eironn more confused than before.

Entering the city, Eironn looked around. It had been a while since he had last been there, and not much had changed. He cast a glance at Kaz, who simply looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. He had heard that she had been to different places outside the forest but he wondered if she had ever been here, he knew he was overwhelmed the first time he had been to the large city.

Her lack of excitement gave him all the answer he needed, of which he was relieved. It meant he didn’t need to worry about her stopping him to look at every little thing and they could head to the castle of Rayne. Luckily, it was a short walk there and he had noticed that there were quite a bit of people from other factions roaming the city.

Nearing the walkway, he heard the unmistakable sound of metal clashing and the excitement of seeing Thane in action rushed him to walk faster towards the sounds. He walked through the small pathway away from the large estate and towards the back, where the training grounds were located. He heard a grunt before a familiar voice shouted out that the match was over. Finally making it to the training grounds, Eironn was a bit surprised to see quite a bit of men standing around while Thane stood off to the side.

Thane seemed to have sensed his presence as well, eyes landing on him before lighting up and calling out to him while waving his hand. “Eironn! Glad you could make it.”

Eironn returned the gesture, and walked up to the man. “Thane.”

Thane yelled at the men to continue training before beckoning Eironn to follow him. “You brought someone along with you.”

“Yes, she decided to tag along.” Eironn ignored the look Kaz gave him as he introduced the two to each other. “Thane, this is Kaz. Kaz, Thane.”

Kaz nodded, crossing her arms and looking more bored than she had on the entire journey. Eironn didn’t really care, he hadn’t asked her to accompany him and he didn’t feel like listening to her delving into her own drama. Instead, he looked to Thane and tilted his head. “You asked me to come by but haven’t mentioned on why. I presume there was a reason?”

Thane nodded and continued walking, knowing Eironn would follow. “There is a reason, yes. I am training a new batch of soldiers but have been having a bit of trouble with also training Estrilda since… She prefers to train at night recently.” At that, Thane grimaced.

Eironn found that the kingdom of men seemed to have weird customs, though he hadn’t really paid it any mind before. He was used to training at any time of the day or night, especially when danger could strike at any time. Still, he understood that with the war going on, Thane must not have had much options if he was asking him to help out. Though it did pique his interest on why Estrilda was training during the night but he didn’t comment on it.

Humming, Eironn stared ahead and seen a different set of training grounds but had been set up for archery with many different targets set up. He also noticed a few wooden pillars set up as well and he wondered if there was any new types of training Estrilda was doing or if it was for the soldiers. “When does she start training?”

Thane sighed, running his hand through his hair with an unreadable look on his face. “Late afternoon-an hour before sunset and until around midnight. She trains with a few other people as well.”

“I’m going to take a look around.” Kaz interjected, dropping her bag and walking back towards the entrance to the estate.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Eironn apologized to Thane. “I’m sorry about her.”

“No, it’s alright. I’ve dealt with worse, honestly.” Thane chuckled a bit, shaking his head and nodding his head to where the first training ground was. “They’re a bit of a handful, though they are admittedly getting better as time goes on.”

Sighing, Eironn glances back at the direction they had come from. “I can’t promise that I’ll do a great job, I’m not used to training groups, but I will do what I can.” Eironn gave a determined look to Thane, who only let out breath of relief.

“Thank you.” Thane smiled slightly before motioning to the large castle. “Shall I show you where you are staying?”

Eironn followed Thane who showed him to a room on the third floor and pointed out another room for Kaz to use, listening to Thane explain that there were a few Graveborn who were currently staying in the castle as well. He explained to Eironn that the section of the castle that was hosting the Graveborn was not to be disturbed during the day. He also told Eironn he had shown up earlier than expected and that he had a few days to himself before he was needed.

After promising to spar sometime soon, they had parted ways and Eironn found himself growing restless. He wasn’t used to staying in one spot for long and the walls of the castle left him feel claustrophobic despite the high ceilings and large rooms so it was no surprise for him to make up his mind and take a walk through the city. Hopefully he’d be able to be rid of the restless feeling that settled inside him. Maybe he’d find something interesting to pass the time with, but he highly doubted it. There wasn’t much that caught his eye.

Securing his swords in the room he was staying in, Eironn wrote a short note to Kaz to let her know where her room was and dropped it off on her bag, weighed down with a rock so it wouldn’t be blown away. Once he was done with that, he made his way off the estate and back into the city. Eironn had roamed it once before but that had been to see if there were any impressive blades to buy and try out. Now, he hadn’t worry himself with that, his own blades embedded with the elements and sturdier than anything he saw.

Travelling through different streets and alleyways, Eironn passed by many different gatherings that seemed to stand out though none of them seemed to spark the type of interest he had been hoping for. After a while he noticed the sky changing into hues of oranges, pinks and purples that bled into each other, a sign of the approaching sunset. He hadn’t noticed he had been gone for so long and decided to give up, walking down one of the backstreets when he saw a flyer that caught his eye.

It had been for a contest that the Noble Tavern had sponsored with some grand prize for their specialty ale, but that hadn’t been what had caught the blondes eye. It was the fact that the contest was that night and it was for archery.

Despite thinking it was foolish of him to be hoping that Ferael would be in attendance, he couldn’t help hoping he was. He hadn’t even seen the archer in action besides their short encounter and hadn’t really heard anything about him besides when Kelthur would taunt Ira to make Kaz mad. But other than that, Eironn wasn’t even sure if Ferael was still alive.

Biting his bottom lip, Eironn read more information and realized that if he wanted to make it in time to see the contest, he’d better move quickly since it started after sunset. Luckily it wasn’t far, only a short walk to the shooting grounds and there seemed to be a small group already.

Finding a rather large tree on the side and a bit further away from the crowd, Eironn leant his shoulder against the bark. He had a good view from here and could see different contestants signing up at the small table where a redheaded woman was. The crowd had seemed to be excited, talking loudly amongst themselves and Eironn silently thanked Dura that he wasn’t in the midst of that.

He wasn’t sure why he was even there or why he even hoped to catch a glance of the archer. He had met him once and despite Ferael’s unique ability with a bow, he wasn’t sure why he had taken such an interest. It had been a question that had been plaguing his mind whenever he would find himself thinking of the archer. He wasn’t one to take such an interest in another person.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like people, but a lot of the people he met were so very different from himself. Even Thane, who was alike himself in being gifted with the sword, had been different as well. They got along fine enough, but unlike him, Thane seemed to be able to get along with other people in a way Eironn couldn’t quite master.

“I’ve been debating if I should come say ‘hello’ now or after I’ve won this contest.”

Surprised at being snuck up on, Eironn turned to his side and couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face at seeing Ferael. Maybe he had been more tired than he realized considering the only people who could sneak up on him were a small amount, all of them usually specializing in stealth and also explaining the smile that he quickly tried to hide.

Raising an eyebrow at Ferael, Eironn tilted his head as he replied. “My, you sound confident.”

Ferael shrugs, a smirk on his face as his green eyes stared out to where the first contenders were starting to get set up. “I’m the closest there is to perfection when it comes to the bow.”

Humming in response, Eironn looked back out at where Ferael’s gaze fell. He did have to admit, seeing how quickly and efficiently the other shot down the Hypogeans in the forest, it didn’t seem like he was all talk.

Maybe that was why Eironn felt so drawn into the other. Maybe they were the same when it came to the perfection of their craft, though it seemed unlikely. Even though he had traveled to many different lands to train under different masters, Eironn hadn’t met anyone as driven to perfection for his skills as himself.

“Well, looks like it’s starting.”

Eironn turned to see Ferael stretching with his arms above his head. He caught a glance of Ferael’s exposed stomach and vaguely wondered if his armor was really practical or if it was for aesthetic. “I’ll be here.”

Ferael grinned in response before walking off towards the other archers and waving a hand over his shoulder.

Eironn was thoroughly surprised as he watched the contest; there had been many different archers and some had been quite amazing especially that one woman who had seemed to have a group of fans in the crowd. But not one had come close to beating Ferael, who shot quickly one after the other and all hitting the target exactly.

One of the other contestants had complained saying that it wasn’t fair since his bow was made out of shadows which had made Eironn irritated. He really did dislike it when someone couldn’t admit defeat and argued the other was somehow cheating, it was foolish when it could have been a learning experience instead. But Ferael had only shrugged and taken the bow and arrows that one of the beaten contestants had used to shoot the targets and still had the same, perfect shots.

It was truly a sight to see, Eironn thought to himself. To see how effortless it had been for Ferael to take aim and shoot and how fluidly he had adjusted his body for each shot. Eironn was able to tell from where he watched how easy it was to Ferael by the way he hadn’t seemed to give it a second thought when shooting. No second guessing himself, no taking a moment to readjust his aim or stance but a quick motion and the arrow hit its target.

By the end of the contest, Ferael had been named winner before the crowd slowly dispersed. Ferael had waved to one of the other archers and had been talking to one of the contest officials when he glanced up and caught Eironn’s gaze with his own. Eironn felt himself start to smile and fought it by biting down on his bottom lip, something he realized he had been doing quite a bit that day.

It was then that Eironn wondered if Ferael could even get drunk. He was technically dead, though from what he had overheard of Kelthur explaining to Kaz that they did have a heartbeat, it was just extremely slow. He wondered if that was true and if it was, did that mean he could even feel the effects of alcohol? He hoped he’d get the chance to ask Ferael about it sometime.

Eironn hadn’t noticed he had gotten lost in his thoughts until he heard Ferael approaching him. Looking up, he saw that Ferael was holding some papers and Eironn raised an eyebrow.

“They’re just saying that I can take the ale back with me instead of sitting in the tavern for hours.” Ferael supplied, raising the papers as he explained.

Peeling himself off from the tree he had been leaning on, Eironn noticed that Ferael was taller than him though he still seemed to be slouching a bit. It meant he had to tilt his head up slightly when he spoke to him face to face but what had surprised the blonde was that he really didn’t mind. It wasn’t like he had a complex about his height but he did find it annoying when he’d have to look up every time he spoke with Ulmus.

“So…” Ferael started, looking around the area that had mostly emptied besides the two of them and a few others. “What are your plans?”

Eironn blinked, both confused and startled by the implication of the question. He hadn’t thought of what to do after, only attending the contest on impulse. He wasn’t tired, despite the late hour and he knew he wasn’t needed on the training fields for a few days. “Nothing, at the moment. I’ve a few days free before I’m needed.”

Ferael hums and scratches the back of his head through his hood before looking back at Eironn. “Want to come with me for a while, if you’ve got the time to spare?”

Fighting every urge to shout out in agreement, Eironn only nods. He doesn’t know why he is being pulled along by Ferael so easily and why he doesn’t mind as much as he should. He doesn’t know why he feels the need to be around the other so much either and being able to drop his guard despite barely knowing each other. It’s odd, Eironn thinks he should be more bothered by it but he finds it hard too when Ferael doesn’t give him any reason to doubt him.

Eironn suddenly remembers something Nemora had told him before about finding a friend someday. He ignored it at the time, he hadn’t a need for friends and had always been unable to connect to others anyways. The thought that maybe this is what it feels like to make a friend crosses his mind. It makes sense he decides, after all, he’s never really had one before and the feeling he gets with Ferael is something new.


End file.
